Army lays out logistics plan

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Army officials must connect its logisticians to global communication networks to more quickly get materiel to troops, a new report concludes.

According to an Army white paper issued today, the service cannot get materiel accurately and quickly to soldiers overseas, and cannot effectively receive and distribute materiel upon receipt.

Army officials over the next two years must fix four logistics weaknesses, including connecting logisticians, updating supply distribution, improving force reception and integrating the logistics chain.

"Army logisticians will be an integral part of the joint battlefield network with satellite-based communications that provides 24/7 connectivity on demand, enabling them to pass and to receive key data from the battlefield to the industrial base," the document said.

The service hopes to upgrade its logistics in two years.

"It's our strategic vision," said Lt. Gen. Claude Christianson, the Army's deputy chief of staff for logistics. "It is tied directly to what we have experienced in the past few years."